Honda: Temporary brake failure of 2002 Honda Accord EX, Honda, Accord

Question
My son rear ended a saturn that was stopped at a stop sign. He was approaching the saturn at the speed limit and attempted to slow down gradually to stop behind the other car. From the beginning he got no response from the brakes. He pressed the pedal all the way to the floor three times with no response and couldn't avoid the other car. When the responding officer had my son back the car to the side of the street, the brakes worked. The folks at the body shop drove the car in their parking lot but were not able to recreate the problem . Have you had any knowledge of this problem occurring? The car had just had regular maintenance two weeks prior to the accident and no brake problem was noted.  What could cause brakes to completely fail one moment and be fine the next?

Answer

Gary J. Meyer II Honda I do not have any knowledge of this problem occurring with the braking system that is on your Accord.  What speed was your Son travelling when he first applied the brakes? Can I assume this was a paved road? What type of road and weather conditions were there at the time of the collision? If the road surface was damp or if there was any type of sand or slippery debris on the pavement, the car may have just been modulating the Anti lock braking system. This modulation would be associated with some slight kickback felt in the brake pedal an a faint rapid buzzing sound. That is the car rapidly modulating, basically it is releasing the wheels braking force until and the re applying braking force until the skid is under control.This can give the car a longer braking distance but allows for directional stability, which prevents a sideways skid. If one or more of the wheels reached a slip ratio of zero (locked up and skidding) the ABS system would modulate and cycle allowing the locked wheel to rotate again. This modulation is similar to older cars when the driver would pump the brake to prevent a skid. If the ABS system had a failure, it would most likely store a trouble code in it's control unit. Has the body shop checked for any codes. My Son was involved in a collision with a six inch curb that caused about three thousand dollars of suspension damage. He described the brakes as failing also, but after the car was repair I made him drive with me on a dirt road and bring the car to quick stop. He explained that the brakes felt like they were not working. The incorrect thing to do if the ABS is modulating is to release the brake pedal. I had him continue to hold the pedal steady and we came to a stop.